Wind deflecting device

ABSTRACT

A wind-deflecting and wind-guiding device is disposed in the region of a windshield of a motor vehicle. The device is formed, in particular, as a cowling extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle. A prestressing device biases lateral longitudinal end regions of the wind-deflecting device in the direction of the vehicle and in the direction of the windshield and, as a result, effectively prevents said longitudinal end regions from lifting off, even under temperature loadings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of Germanpatent application DE 10 2006 032 809.4, filed Jul. 14, 2006; the priorapplication is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention lies in the automotive technology field. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a wind-deflecting devicedisposed in the vicinity of a windshield of a motor vehicle.

German published patent application DE 28 35 802 A1 discloses a railwhich bears against a thin vehicle wall, serves for stiffening purposesand the central part of which has greater strength than its ends,because of a profiled structure which peters out towards the ends. Inorder to prevent the vehicle wall from fluttering during the drivingoperation of the motor vehicle, the ends of the rail are each shaped toform an eye which has a noncircular shape and onto which a limb which ismade from resilient material and is supported with prestress on a fixedvehicle part is pushed. This creates a hinge-like connection between therail and the limb supported on the end side, with the eye forming ahinge pin.

German published, prosecuted patent application DE 1 405 875 likewisediscloses an apparatus for stiffening thin walls of vehicles, with arail which is composed of a resilient material, bears against the partto be stiffened, is provided with at least one longitudinal bead and thecentral part of which has a harder spring characteristic than its endsattached to fixed vehicle parts. In order to stiffen the thin wall insuch a manner that neither a fluttering of the thin wall nor indentationof the wall occurs, the rail, which is produced from spring bound steel,has at least one uninterrupted bead which becomes flatter at its ends,and resilient end sections with a rectangular cross section that areinserted into slots of the fixed vehicle parts with the end sectionsbeing prestressed.

In particular in the case of light covering parts, such as, for example,of a wind-deflecting device which is also included in the region of thinwalls/components on vehicles, a corresponding effective temperature mayresult in lateral end regions lifting off, which can firstly produceunattractive gaps and secondly can unfavorably influence thewind-deflecting properties of the wind-deflecting device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a winddeflecting or guiding device that overcomes the above-noted and otherdisadvantages of the prior art and which provides an improved embodimentthat is distinguished in particular in that its lateral end regions areprevented from lifting off under effects of temperature.

This and other objects are achieved, in accordance with the invention,in that there is provided a wind-deflecting or wind-guiding devicedisposed in a region of a windshield of a motor vehicle. Thewind-deflecting device comprising a prestressing device configured anddisposed to bias longitudinal end regions of the wind-deflecting devicein a direction towards the vehicle. The device is, in particular, acowling that is disposed to extend in a transverse direction of thevehicle.

The present invention is based on the general concept of providing, inthe case of a wind-deflecting device arranged in the region of awindshield of a motor vehicle, a prestressing device which prestressesthe lateral end regions of the wind-deflecting device against the motorvehicle, in particular against the windshield, in such a manner thatsaid end regions cannot be detached from the windshield on account of atemperature loading stop. The prestressing device accordingly bringsabout a continuous prestressing of the lateral end regions against thewindshield or against the bodywork, and therefore the position assumedby the wind-deflecting device during installation is maintainedirrespective of the normally occurring temperatures. The inventiontherefore ensures that the wind- deflecting device cannot be detachedfrom the windshield even in summer, for example at very hightemperatures, and thereby causes an unaesthetic impression and causes adeterioration in the aerodynamic properties of the cowl device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to theinvention, at least one spring element of the prestressing device isdesigned as a spring steel part or is produced from spring steel. Such aspring element which is produced from spring steel brings about auniform prestressing force which remains constant over a long time andonly changes insignificantly even in the case of large differences intemperature as can occur, for example, between summer and winter.Furthermore, a spring element produced from spring steel affords theadvantage that, in comparison to other steels, the spring steel hasgreatly resilient properties and, as a result, is capable of absorbingsignificantly greater elastic deformations.

The spring element expediently engages at its end which faces away fromthe bodywork in an engagement means formed on the wind-deflectingdevice. This facilitates installation of the wind-deflecting deviceequipped with the prestressing device according to the invention, sincethe at least one spring element of the wind-deflecting device has merelyto be connected fixedly at one end to the motor vehicle and there is asimple plug-in connection at the other end. In comparison to a fixedcoupling of that end of the spring element which faces away from thebodywork, the solution of inserting this end into a pocket or anengagement means formed on the wind-deflecting device has the greatadvantage of certain displacement possibilities being possible herebetween spring element and wind-deflecting device or between springelement and a covering profile of the wind-deflecting device, as aresult of which, for example, stresses occurring due to temperaturefluctuations can be avoided.

In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to theinvention, a covering profile of the wind-deflecting device that isvisible in the fitted state has at least one recessed fastening regionat which the covering profile is connected fixedly to the bodywork andvia which, in addition, the spring element is fixed on the bodywork. Asa result, both the covering profile and the spring element can be fixedon the vehicle bodywork by one and the same fixing means, thus firstlyreducing the outlay on installation and secondly enabling a reduction inthe multiplicity of parts to be achieved.

Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge fromthe subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description ofthe figures with reference to the drawings.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those whichhave yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respectivelystated combination but also in other combinations or on their ownwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin wind-deflecting device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limitedto the details shown, since various modifications and structural changesmay be made therein without departing from the spirit of the inventionand within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a view of a wind-deflecting device according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 shows a highly schematic sectional illustration along the lineII-II in FIG. 1 through the wind-deflecting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first,particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a part of a lateralregion of a transition from an engine hood 1 into a windshield 2 of amotor vehicle (otherwise not illustrated), with a wing 3 of the motorvehicle laterally adjoining the engine hood 1 in the transversedirection of the vehicle. A wind-deflecting device 4 which is to bringabout an aerodynamically favorable transition between abovementionedcomponents 1 and 3 and the windshield 2 is arranged in the region of atransition from the engine hood 1 or the wing 3 to the windshield 2. Inthis case, the wind-deflecting device 4 runs substantially in thetransverse direction of the vehicle and on a lower edge of thewindshield 2 and, in the region of a transition between the engine hood1 and the wing 3, has a lateral end region 5 which extends along aconnecting line between the windshield 2 and the wing 3. As likewiseshown in FIG. 1, the wind-deflecting device 4 has substantiallyencircling flanges 6 which bear against the windshield 2 and, in theregion of the wing 3 and the engine hood 1, are arranged below them.Thus there is created an aerodynamically particularly well designedtransition zone.

That part of the wind-deflecting device 4 which is shown in FIG. 1 is acovering profile 7 which has at least one recessed fastening region 8 atwhich it is connected to the motor vehicle bodywork 11. This recessedfastening region 8 is also illustrated in FIG. 2. The wind-deflectingdevice 4 is usually connected to the bodywork 11 via two recessedfastening regions 8, with only one fastening region 8 being shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.

In particular in summer, i.e. at high temperatures, the lateral endregions 5 may lift off from the windshield 2 due to the temperaturedeformations and, as a result, unaesthetic gaps are produced between thecovering profile 7 and windshield 2. Associated with the lateral endregions 5 of the covering profile 7 lifting off is a deterioration inthe aerodynamic properties, and therefore such lifting off absolutelyhas to be avoided. In order to avoid the described lifting off of thelateral end regions 5, the wind-deflecting device 4 has a prestressingdevice 9 which prestresses the respective longitudinal end region 5 ofthe wind-deflecting device 4 and of the covering profile 7 in thedirection of the windshield 2 and in the direction of the vehicle (FIG.2).

The prestressing device 9 comprises, according to FIG. 2, at least onespring element 10, with normally two spring elements 10 being providedfor the respective prestressing of the associated end region 5. Aprestressing force of the spring element 10 is achieved by it preferablybeing designed as a spring steel part or being produced from springsteel. Spring steel of this type has higher elasticity in comparison toconventional steel and, as a result, can absorb relatively large elasticdeformations. In general, however, other materials which can exert ahigh degree of elasticity and a corresponding prestressing force canalso be used here. Furthermore, the resilient properties should alsoremain unchanged over a relatively large temperature window such thatthe spring element (10) reliably prestresses the end region 5 of thecovering profile 7 in relation to the windshield 2 or in relation to thebodywork both in winter at low temperatures and in summer at very hightemperatures.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the spring element 10 is connected at one endto the motor vehicle bodywork 11 and at the other end to thewind-deflecting device 4 or the covering profile 7 of the same. Theconnection to the bodywork 11 takes place via a fixing means 12, forexample a screw, whereas a connection between the spring element 10 andthe covering profile 7 of the wind-deflecting device 4 takes place viaan engagement means 13 in which the spring element 10 engages at its endwhich faces away from the bodywork 11, and which is arranged on thecovering profile 7 of the wind-deflecting device 4 in a manner such thatit is not visible from the outside.

The spring element 10, like the covering profile 7 of thewind-deflecting device 4, is connected to the bodywork 11 in thefastening region 8, with a common fixing means 12 being used to connectthe two components 7 and 10 to the bodywork 11. In this case, a limb 14of the spring element 10 of Z-shaped design is provided with a passageopening 15 which aligns with a passage opening 15′ arranged in therecessed fastening region 8 of the covering profile 7 and, as a result,makes it possible for the spring element 10 and the covering profile 7to be connected together to the bodywork 11. In the region of thepassage opening 15 of the limb 14, the latter is curved, to be preciseis designed such that it is curved away from the bodywork 11, as aresult of which a prestress which acts on the fixing means 12 isproduced during tightening of the same, and therefore the fixing means12 cannot be automatically released in the fitted state.

A sidewall 16 of the recessed fastening region 8 has, as illustrated inFIG. 2, a further through opening 15″ through which the limb 14 of thespring element 10 reaches. This through opening 15″ makes it possiblefor the spring element 10 to be visible from the outside only in theregion of the recessed fastening region 8 whereas it otherwise runswithin the covering profile 7 in a manner such that it is not visible.

In summary, the primarily important features of the solution accordingto the invention can be characterized as follows:

In order to be able to effectively prevent lateral end regions 5 of acovering profile 7 belonging to a wind-guiding or wind-deflecting device4 from lifting off even during unusual temperature loadings, theinvention proposes a prestressing device 9 which has spring elements 10which are preferably formed from spring steel, prestress said lateralend regions 5 against a windshield 2 or against a bodywork 11 and, as aresult, prevent the same from lifting off.

1. In combination with a motor vehicle having a windshield, awind-deflecting device disposed in a region of the windshield, thewind-deflecting device comprising a prestressing device configured anddisposed to prestress longitudinal end regions of the wind-deflectingdevice in a direction towards the vehicle.
 2. The wind-deflecting deviceaccording to claim 1 configured as a cowl disposed in a transversedirection of the vehicle.
 3. The wind-deflecting device according toclaim 1, wherein said prestressing device has at least one springelement.
 4. The wind-deflecting device according to claim 3, whereinsaid at least one spring element is formed of spring steel.
 5. Thewind-deflecting device according to claim 3, wherein said spring elementhas a first end connected to a bodywork part of the motor vehicle and asecond end connected to the wind-deflecting device.
 6. Thewind-deflecting device according to claim 3, which comprises engagementmeans formed on the wind-deflecting device, and wherein said springelement has an end facing away from the bodywork of the motor vehicleengaging in said engagement means.
 7. The wind-deflecting deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein said spring element is formed as a rightangled Z profile.
 8. The wind-deflecting device according to claim 3,which comprises a covering profile that is visible when thewind-deflecting device is fitted on the motor vehicle and at least onerecessed fastening region at which the wind-deflecting device isconnected to the motor vehicle bodywork.
 9. The wind-deflecting deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein a side wall of said recessed fasteningregion is formed with a through opening (8″), and said spring elementreaches through said through opening in a fitted state of thewind-deflecting device.
 10. The wind-deflecting device according toclaim 8, which comprises a common fixing means commonly attaching saidspring element and said covering profile at said recessed fasteningregion to the motor vehicle bodywork.